BALTIMORE — Orioles pitchers allowing solo home runs, in manager Brandon Hyde’s fully logical estimation, is not the worst-case scenario. Of course, he would overwhelmingly prefer they not give up home runs at all.
He couldn’t get his wish Tuesday, when a pair of home runs with the bases empty provided the margin in Baltimore’s 3-1 defeat to the Cincinnati Reds, evening the series between two of baseball’s most exciting young teams. Baltimore’s offense managed only three hits, two by Jordan Westburg in his second major league game, as right-hander Tyler Wells delivered another quality start but was handed the loss thanks to Matt McLain’s sixth-inning solo shot.
The Orioles’ best offensive opportunity came minutes before the skies opened above Camden Yards for a second straight night, prompting a 1-hour, 43-minute delay. After the Orioles managed a run on three walks and Westburg’s two hits off Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott, Hyde deployed many of the left-handed bats he had kept on his bench against Abbott to face right-handed reliever Lucas Sims in the seventh. Cedric Mullins drew a pinch-hit walk only to be caught stealing second on a pitchout. After Westburg walked, pinch-hitter Ryan O’Hearn got ahead 3-0 but grounded out on the next pitch, moving Westburg to second. Adam Frazier replaced Jorge Mateo and was hit by a pitch to put two on for leadoff man Austin Hays, who Sims struck out looking to strand two runners.
